Are the bridesmaids shoes supposed to match?

Question

Had the same shoes for all the bridesmaids, but the boutique ordered the wrong color dresses so had to pick a different dress from Davids Bridal and now I don't think that the shoes will go with the new dresses, so 3 of my bridesmaids and I went to LOOK at different shoes and they all decided that since they didn't have to pay for their dress they could spend more on shoes and they found some that were $70! But now the problem is that two of my BM's can't afford the new shoes, well one of them can't and the other is like me and will not spend that much on a pair of shoes that she'll only wear once. I don't expect her to fork out that much for shoes, but should the shoes all match or can they look similar in color and style? I don't want it to look odd in the pictures though. What do you guys think? Thanks in advance for all answers! : )

Forgot to mention that the dresses are tea length chiffon in a lilac color.

Answer 1

I have been in many weddings. Trust me--having different shoes does not look weird in the pictures. If the picture is a full-length shot that shows the shoes, it is from so far away that you really can't make out the shoes. If it is closer, it will not include the feet in the shot. Let your bridesmaids pick their own shoes. Everyone is going to be looking at you, anyway, not your bridesmaids shoes!

Answer 2

Of course they should match! You have been planning this wedding to match a theme, so do not let a thing like shoes let you down. Good news though - they do not have to be exact! Make sure you keep the colour the same and similar style - probably best not to have closed shoes next to open, but keep the colour the same and the style can vary with price - everyone is happy. And think about shoes that wil go with other dresses after - silver or white strappy shoes will go beautifully with lilac - and consider blue hydrangeas or lavender hyacinths in your bridesmaids bouquets - they are really economical and fill up the bunch quickly - great for tables too! Modern wedding flowers 9th edition have some great blue/pink & purple ideas. I do know about matching, I AM a wedding planner - theming is important but you can cheat a little! Good luck.

Answer 3

The shoes don't have to match exactly.

I've been in four weddings - three as a bridesmaid and once as a bride - and we only had matching shoes in one wedding. They were dyed to match and quite inexpensive.

The other two times I was a bridesmaid, well, once we were told to all get whatever white flats we liked and the other we were told to pick out whatever black pumps with two-inch heels we wanted.

For my wedding, I told the bridesmaids I didn't care what shoes they wore so long as they were flat-soled. Since I'd gone out of my way to make sure the bridesmaids dresses were coordinated but individual and the men in the party were wearing whatever formalwear they already had...which ranged from a black tails to morning suits to a kilt, matching shoes would have looked ridiculous.

In your case, I'd tell those other two bridesmaids to find something in the same color with about the same heel height and let them choose their own. Very few people notice the bridesmaids shoes, so it's best to let them find something they like and feel comfortable paying for.

Answer 4

You don't specify if the dresses are floor length or tea, which would come into play.

If it's floor length, the dress covers most of the shoe anyway, so style of shoe really shouldn't make that much difference. Personally, I've had 13 knee surgeries, so heels kill me! I prefer low heels or flats.

I agree with you that I would not want to spend that much money on a pair of shoes that I would only wear once. Are there any other shoes that are less expensive?

If the color and basic style matches, it should be OK.

Answer 5

If the dresses were long, floor length, I would say no, they don't have to match. But since they are tea length, it might not look ok, especially if they are really different from eachother (if one is a strappy shoe, another has one thin strap, etc.) You could also look at www.zappos.com. They have a lot of shoes and the prices are ok. Good luck.

Answer 6

My bridesmaid's dresses were similar in style to what you described. Something to mention is that my wedding was in the afternoon, so it was not as formal as most weddings. I picked a color and general style and let them get their own shoes based on those two things. It worked out. Those who wanted more pricey shoes got what they wanted and those who wanted payless shoes got that. It looked just fine. Even in the pictures it looks fine. They all seemed to match.

Answer 7

Unless the shoes are a completely different color, no one but youa nd the bridesmaids are even going to notice. Even if the shoes are visible, I don't think it will matter at all. Don't stress about that because there are plenty of other things to stress about. I am sure it will all be beautiful!

Answer 8

Out of curiosity which davids bridal dress is it? my Bridesmaids are in a tea length purple Davids bridal... mines f12441 (it is no longer offered in purple) http://davidsbridal.com/bridesmaids_detail.jsp?stid=2812&prodgroup=138
Mine are not matching their shoes, just silver and strappy whatever they want, I think it adds character and makes them look like individuals. if most are matching you might see if you could help the ones who cant get the same shoes. or just let it go because nobody will notice or care but you.

Answer 9

The shoes don't have to match perfectly. Nobody pays that much attention to their feet even in pictures. I much prefer when the bridesmaids aren't carbon copies of each other and are able to show their personal style a little.

Answer 10

Similar is better - then they'll wear something they choose themselves again. For my attendants, I just asked that they wear a white pump - and they came with a full variety of styles, heel heights, and embellishments! It looked great, they had tea-length dresses, so the shoes had to look good!